Kathy Hamilton This summer, I was lucky enough to go on an Ireland Road Trip with friends. Living in Belfast, I’m always tempted to travel further afield but this means I haven’t explored Ireland very much. No longer! In four days we drove through 28 counties, stayed on an island, visited bronze age monuments and more! So strap yourselves in, at long last, I’m sharing my travels through Ireland with you. And we have a lot to cover.
Ireland Road Trip- Day 1: The Wild Atlantic Way
Early in the morning, we bundled ourselves and all the necessities for camping into the back of our hire car. One quick trip to the shop to buy a raincoat (a necessity for any Ireland road trip) later and we were on our way. The first port of call was Galway. The town was resplendent in its GAA colours (I found out the team had made the semi-finals of the championship) and packed with people. Since we were very time-limited, we headed straight for the Latin Quarter for a walk around cobbled streets and beautiful buildings before heading on our way.
Next, it was a beautiful drive along the Wild Atlantic Way to take the last ferry to Inishmore. This is the biggest of the Aran Islands and we decided to camp for the night by the beach. Inishmore is the kind of place you imagine Ireland to be, all verdant rolling hills, rocky outcrops, and thatched cottages. Truly, one of the most beautiful and calming places I’ve been. Not a sound to be heard but the wind, waves and birds. Blissful.
Ireland Road Trip- Day 2: Inishmore
I was woken in the night by the sound of lashing rain against the side of the tent so I lay for a while, just listening. There is a strange magic when you’re inside a tent and it’s raining; I love the feeling of being surrounded by and still protected from the elements by a thin membrane of fabric. I soon fell asleep again though, which was lucky, because day two of our Ireland Road trip was packed to the brim and began early.
We decided to hire bicycles, as this seemed the best way to explore the island. Our destination was the far side of Inishmore where the ancient ruins tower over the cliffs and sea. I’m not a keen cyclist and the road we took seemed (to me) to be all uphill so I huffed, puffed and complained most of the way! It was quite a challenge. Despite this, I really did appreciate the experience. With the limited time we had here it enabled us to see the best of everything. From the seal colony to the thatched cottages and stunning views.
We made our ferry back to the mainland with literal seconds to spare, but despite the hair-raising race against time to make the boat, I’m glad I got to spend time ambling around beautiful Inishmore.
Ireland Road Trip- Day 2: Cliffs of Moher and Down to Kerry
After bundling back into the car at the ferry port, we were on our way once again and on to the Cliffs of Moher. But not before we found the most delicious restaurant called Padracins on the Wild Atlantic Way to have lunch! These stunning cliffs look out on to the Atlantic ocean and are a dramatically beautiful sight to behold.
After this, it was time to settle in for the long drive down to our campsite in Glenbeigh, County Kerry. Driving through the Irish countryside was amazing. It’s hard to imagine how truly green Ireland is until you’re driving down a leafy country lane and can see every possible shade of the colour wherever you look.
We pulled into the campsite just as the sun was starting to set over the Dingle Peninsula. With mountains behind us and endless ocean in front of us, it was truly awe-inspiring. In terms of sheer beauty, Kerry tops the list for best part of the Ireland Road Trip for sure. Then it was a case of getting the tent set up and cooking soup and sausage sandwiches over the gas stove by the light of a headlamp! A true camping experience if ever there was one.
Ireland Road Trip – Day 3: Castles, Waterfalls and Ancient Goat Kings
In the morning we decided to have breakfast on Rossbeigh Beach as it looks over the Dingle Peninsula. It was a windswept, blustery kind of morning and I was never more glad to have spent the extra money on a windproof coat! But despite the elements, sitting in the early morning on the beach with friends was a perfect start to the day. We explored the Dunes and contemplated taking a dip in the sea (I was firmly in camp “not doing that”!) and then headed out to explore some of Killarney National Park.
First stop of the day was Ross Castle, a 15th Century stronghold, which lies just inside Killarney National Park. We explored the outside (since you had to pay to go in) and also enjoyed watching a family of ducks squabble over their daily feed. After this, it was time to drive further into the heart of the park to Torc Waterfall. I am always drawn to the elemental power and strength of waterfalls, so this was a particular favourite for me.
Finally, we drove through Killorglin where they were setting up for the annual Puck Fair. This is one of Ireland’s oldest fairs where, in a truly odd-ball custom, a goat is crowned “King” and everyone spends the weekend celebrating him. We just missed the festival itself but were in time to see everything decked out in banners and flags.
Ireland Road Trip – Day 3: Cork and The Rock of Cashel
After paying our respects to King Puck, we decided to head to Cork for lunch. After so much time spent in the wild countryside, it was surreal to be back in a city. A grey cloud covered city damped our spirits a little so after lunch, we quickly got on our way towards the real highlight of the afternoon.
The Rock of Cashel is a 1000-year-old imposing castle set high on a hill overlooking the Tipperary countryside. It was once the home of the Kings of Munster but is uninhabited today after many centuries of use by the Catholic Church. In typical road trip fashion, we arrived just after the last entrance to the site but undeterred, we decided to explore the ruins of the nearby Abbey instead. If you really love castles, Ireland is surely the best place for you! This country is teaming with them.
From here it was on towards Wicklow. If you’re getting tired keeping track of all the counties we raced through, imagine how we felt!
Ireland Road Trip Day 3 – Sunset in the Wicklow Hills and a 5* Meal
This was our first mountain drive of the Ireland Road Trip and was well worth the wait. As the sunset over the mountains, we began to turn our thoughts towards food. Having nothing planned we decided to make a pitstop at the first place we came across. Which is how we stumbled across The Wicklow Heather.
How strange it was to find ourselves in a fancy restaurant after a few days of camping. Even more strange? The Wicklow Mist is home to a collection of first edition Irish literature, including James Joyce! After ogling the rare books I sat down to fantastic food. What a treat! An unexpected culinary and literary delight in the middle of an Ireland Road Trip.
Dark has descended on the mountains by the time we lefts The Wicklow Mist. There’s something magical about driving amongst trees at night. The full beam headlights light up the view like a black and white film. On this occasion, we were amazed to see a Stag running alongside our car! By the time I finally crawled into my sleeping bag at night I was so ready for the best sleep ever!
Ireland Road Trip – Day 4: Ancient Ireland
For the final day of our Ireland Road Trip, we had a tight schedule ahead of us. So it was another early start. We packed up the tent for the last time and headed towards Glendalough. This ancient monastic site is one of the highlights of a trip to Wicklow, if not the whole trip. The site is nestled amongst the hills and surrounded by lakes and woodland. We spent a lovely morning rambling about and exploring the site, which was founded in the 6th Century.
After Glendalough, we decided to take ourselves even further back in time 5000 years. First to the Hill of Tara and then to New Grange. The Hill of Tara is first recorded in the 11th Century as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. However, it’s known to have been settled since at least 3,000BC! Words can’t describe how moving and strangely spiritual it is to find yourself staring at grave art that was created over 5000 years ago.
By this point in the trip, time was really against us. We were hoping to make the last entry to Newgrange, the world famous Passage Tomb. However, it was not to be. We arrived just as they were shutting up for the day. So, we made do with standing outside of the ancient site and thinking about it instead. I’ll chalk that one up to something to do on the next trip!
…and then Home
What a whirlwind four days the Ireland Road Trip turned out to be! Looking back on it, I still can’t believe we managed to pack so much into it. It’s taken me so long to document it here because I really wanted to take time and capture it properly. Ireland is such a beautiful country to explore and even though I spent four days driving around most of it, I still feel like it was just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t wait to see more.
